sorry it took ages to upload, I was mad busy and had a writer's block on top of that. But I will finish this story and the end is near too. hope you enjoy this
LK
Chapter twenty four
''How are you here?''
''Excuse me?'' Hope looked up from her coffee mug.
''I saw Dr Hoyt holding you hostage, how are you here?'' Maura rephrased.
''Oh dear, Patrick would never let that man harm me.'' Hope laughed, with a dismissive wave of her hand. ''And I'm not some kind of helpless little woman either, I am the Mother of the Boston Coven.''
Maura's eyebrows arched with curiosity. Something seemed to be going on between Hope Martin and Patrick Doyle, something that, udging by the way Hope spoke about him, was more than coworker's interest. She filed that information in her mind for later use. She sighed, getting up and checking her phone for the hundredth time, waiting for a message from Vince Korsak, who was now the official liaison between the Supernatural community and the US Government. A message that woud tell her Jane was okay, that Jane was safe and she was coming home. That message had yet to arrive.
She peeled the curtain back to glance at the night sky and her vision was assaulted by a bright flash. She stumbled back, feeling Hope approaching behind her, and she shut he curtain vehemently. ''This has to stop.'' She mumbled and the Witch put a hand on her shoulder.
''It's okay dear, they'll go away eventually.''
''No...'' Maura muttered. ''I'm going to go out there.''
''Maura, darling, don't let them see you like this, those damn reporters, they're like vultures...''
''I'm going to talk to them.'' The Doctor said, more decisively now, opening the door wide. The minute she did dozens of lights flashed, aimed at her. Immediately a man was by her side, a microphone shoved dangerously close to her face. A hundred questions were spoken out lout at once and she held her hands up, planting her feet down on her front porch.
''Listen! Listen to me!''
''Dr Isles! Are you and Jane Rizzoli romantically invo-''
''Listen to me dammit!'' Her voice carried across the group of men and women armed with camera's and microphones. ''I want to talk to you!'' She pointed to the man that had opened his mouth for another question. ''One more word from any of you and I'm going back inside!''
It felt good, stepping up like this. She wondered if she had ever shouted the way she was doing right now, ever, it her entire life. But it didn't matter, if it helped bring Jane back. Immediately
everyone went silent. There was the occasional flashing of a picture being taken but nobody was barking questions anymore. Maura felt strong and ready.
She focused her eyes on the camera closest to her and spoke out loudly and clearly. ''My name is Doctor Maura Isles. I am the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.'' On her own accord her hand came up on her chest, a reaction to the pain she was feeling when Jane was away. ''Detective Jane Rizzoli and I have indeed been in a relationship.'' She had expected to cry but at the mention of her mate's name a file kiddled in her heart, filling her with courage. ''You call people like her monsters, because you are ignorant. Jane has been everything for me. She has taken care of me and my son, she has loved me in ways nobody else has before. Yes, she might be different, and you cannot understand her and her people, but she is the most loving, the most kind person I know. More than that, Jane, my Jane, is a person, just like you and me. And she does not deserve to be treated like an animal. How would you feel if your husband, or your wife, or your child, was dragged out of your house in the middle of the night, and nobody told you whether they're alive or dead? How would you feel if the person that got you through the day was stolen from you, killed without ever doing something wrong?'' She swallowed hard. ''Lycanthropes have lived among us for thousands of years and we have never suspected because they never gave us a reason to. My Jane is a person, she is a real person who wakes up and kisses me in the morning, a real person, who likes beer like any one of you, and watches the Red Sox every weekend. She is real, and I miss her, so I beg of you, please. Please let her go. Please show the world that everything the Government is doing now is illegal and wrong. Bring my Jane home, please!''
Hope's hand squeezed her shoulder and Maura realised she was crying. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. She was distracted from the cameras by a black SUV pulling over in front of her house. A man with scraggly hair stepped out of the drivers seat and took hold of her elbow.
''Dr Isles, this is Special Agent Gabriel Dean, please come with me.'' He said evenly.
Hope stepped in between them and Special Agent Dean was pushed by an invisible force. He gasped but he was just startled by the abruptness, rather than surprised by Hope's magic.
''What do you want Agent Dean?'' She said, low enough so that the camera's would not pick up on it.
''Ma'am this is official FBI business, please step aside.'' He said, yet he seemed unable to come any closer.
''I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on.'' She insisted, and despite her slender frame and small stature she was scarier than many men Agent Dean had come across.
He sighed. ''You're welcome to come with me. But I'll explain in the car, not right here.'' He gestured to the camera crews. ''Not in front of them.''
Hope clenched her jaw but led Maura into the car, getting in the back seat with her none the less. She only waited a few seconds for Agent Dean to put distance between the vehicle and the reporters before she opened her mouth. ''What do you want with Dr Isles?''
Maura noticed with curiosity that Hope was oddly protective of her and seemed to speak for her behalf without asking for permission. It did not bother her but she found it interesting.
''I have orders to transport Dr Isles in Henderson research center. Mr Vince Korsak will be waiting there for her. That's all I can say.''
Maura went quiet, her mind glued on Jane. If the Detective was dead she would have known. In fact, something told her than if Jane died the pain would be so much, so instant than not only she would know, but she would die also. It was irrational and she was aware of it but Hope's hand on her knee was grounding and comforting.
Much to her surprise Dennis awaited at the front gates of the facility. He was just like she remembered him, in fact he had no obvious marks or scars on him but his eyes were vacant.
''Don't worry dear.'' Hope told her. ''His orders were to follow me, he did what was asked of him.'' She snapped her fingers and he followed silently. At least the body that belonged to Dennis did, because the man who had been her husband was nowhere to be found. He walked but his shoes dragged on the floor, shuffling. His clothes hang on him as if he had lost a lot of weight in a very short amount of time and they were stained and dirty. His eyes were straight down on the floor as they walked down the corridor and the one she caught him looking at her he started shaking and jerked away from her.
Korsak joined them and she surprisingly found herself excruciatingly happy to see a man she barely knew. Before she could contain herself and recall that it would be socially unacceptable she found her arms around him, seeking comfort in the arm's of the big man.
''Maura...'' he said in a deep voice. ''So good to see you are well.'' He pulled away from her, his gentle eyes taking in her tired posture. ''Come with me, there's someone waiting for you.''
Her heart lifted and she somehow was aware of the proximity. It didn't make her any less surprised to see Jane behind a large glass wall when they turned around the corner. She gasped and put a hand over her mouth. Jane's head tilted up but by the way her eyes didn't focus on anything Maura knew that the glass was one way only.
The Detective was dressed in white, loose white pants and white long sleeved shirt. She was barefoot and her curly hair was loose and untamed.
She was in a bare room with nothing but a bed, a toilet and a sink. When Maura walked closer she noticed that the wall gleamed with something other than normal paint.
''Silver.'' Korsak said. ''The pain has trace elements of silver. This is the only place in the world where Jane is human.''
She was so close now that her breath fogged the glass when she leaned in to touch it ''Jane...'' She whispered and as if on cue Jane got up, placing her palm on the glass, right in front of Maura's. The Doctor shivered, even though she could not feel the werewolf's skin under her touch. Just seeing Jane stirred all those memories of ragged breaths, closed eyes and whispers of pleasure. Just seeing Jane made her heart quicken, in ways she had never felt before. ''Jane...'' She repeated, her eyes never leaving the Detective's olive skin. She watched the brunette's lips as the moved, the same way over and over. Maura didn't need to hear her to know that she was calling her name. The ''M'' in her name felt like a kiss and every vowel felt like Jane's hot breath on her neck.
''Why are they keeping her here?'' She managed to say, after clearing her throat.
''They want to study her.'' Korsak said without hesitation. ''We need to persuade them that Jane is more useful to them dealing with things on the outside than she is in there.''
Momentarily Maura froze. She felt unable form comprehensive thoughts and all see could see with her sudden tunnel vision was Jane. The Detective stared right ahead and despite the silver embedded in the walls Maura could feel the wolf stir inside her chest, nestled next to her heart like living fire.
Then Korsak was pulling her along, through a large corridor and round another corner until she couldn't see Jane anymore. An invisible thread protruded from the Doctor's chest and she could almost feel it leading back to the woman she loved, going through walls and closed doors, around every hardship the world could throw at them.
There was a large conference table. Agent Dean was already settled alongside another man and Korsak took a seat next to him, Patrick Doyle was silently waiting for them. Hope followed sort and Maura, feeling more comfortable with the woman in close proximity, sat next to her. They didn't waste time in greetings, rather went right to business.
''My name is Brandon Rogers, I am Chief of the Supernatural Department of the FBI.'' The stranger said. He pressed a button on the table and a slideshow appeared on the opposite wall. He flipped through pictures of large gatherings of people pushing against police barricades. ''First we have the issue of the right wing extremists who wish to terminate the existence of every thing supernatural.'' He flipped to the next batch. ''Then we have these mysterious animal attacks.'' Maura flinched despite herself at the autopsy photo's of mauled bodies. ''And finally we got HUWS, Humans United With Supernaturals, a newly formed group of activists supporting the rights of every Supernatural being in your community. This group has stirred protests all over the country and will most likely cause an international uprising if the US Government does not withdraw the Shoot On Sight order we have issued.'' He was an older man, in his late fifties to early sixties, with salt and pepper hair and no nonsense steely blue eyes. He turned to Vince Korsak. ''In order to fulfill the demands of HUWS and stop animal attacks that seem to be part of this uprising I need you to talk to your wolves and have them stand down.'' He turned to Doyle. ''Same goes for you and you Hope.'' He crossed his hands over his chest. ''We are working on a new set of laws that will cover the supernatural sector, that will hopefully allow Humans and Non-Humans to live together.''
''First.'' Doyle interrupted. ''It won't help you to call us Non-Humans. You need to emphasize our human side. Stick with ''Preternatural''.''
Rogers nodded and continued. ''You need to realise that we know very little about you and we will have to collect more data in order to form laws that will cover the entire spectrum of the Preternatural community. We have agreed on a basic set of regulations though. First and foremost, there will be effective immediately a new regulation of the death penalty for any Preternatural that causes severe bodily harm or death to a Human, effective without trial.''
Doyle nodded. ''Sounds fair.''
''Second, a system of three strikes will be effective. Preternaturals who get caught using their abilities to harm another human, bodily, emotionally or financially will receive a strike. Preternaturals that receive a total of three strikes will be evaluated by a council that will decided either their imprisonment or their death.''
Everyone on the table nodded.
Korsak spoke up. ''I already have your executioner ready, she's locked up in the next room.'' He said, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.
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